Plied textile yarn



W. B. CHOATE PLIED TEXTILE YARN Nov. 17, 1959 2 Sheets-sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1956 1 g'- 8 INVENTOR: WILLIAM T5.C-HOATE-. v

BYaCImQ m M-J'W ATTORNEYS n w B E Nov. 17, 1959 w. s. CHOATE 2,912,742

YPLIED TEXTILE YARN Filed June 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM B. CHOATE.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2 9 2,142 PLIED TEXTI-LEYARN Wi iam B- C at Charlotte, N-C Application June 5, 1956, Serial No. 589,470 2 Claims. (or. 28-81) This invention relates'to a yarn wherein the yarn has a high tensile strength, soft hand, and high absorption qualities and is particularly adapted to be used as acaulking material, packing for journals, wicks for lamps, etc. Heretofore, it has been the practice to provide a plied yarn of high tensile strength by imparting a high twist to the strands forming the yarn. Normally the fibers or filaments in each of the strands have been as long as possible to provide added strength. Yarns constructed in this manner with a high twist have not been satisfactory wherein it was desired to use a highly absorbent yarn of soft hand having av high tensile strength since the highly twisted yarns, although having a high tensile strengthphad greatly reduced absorption qualities and a hard hand making the yarn ditficult to handle.

It is the primary object of this invention to increase the tensile strength of a'yarn without decreasing the softness and diameter of the yarn by sewing a yarn formed from plied or braided strands longitudinally along its axis.

It is another object of this invention to provide a yarn formed from a plurality of-strands plied or braided together with a low twist and wherein each of the strands has a low twist and the yarn is stitched throughout its entire length to present a yarn having the strength and abrasion resisting qualities at least equal to yarn formed heretofore with high twist and long staple length and yet presenting a yarn having a greatly increased tensile strength, softness, a high bulk versus weight ratio, and a high absorbency.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a yarn formed from low twisted strands plied or braided together with stitching applied thereto, which stitching extends longitudinally of the yarn in such a manner as to flatten the yarn into the appearance of a figure 8 and thereby greatly increasing the surface area of the yarn.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a yarn formed from a plurality of strands having low twist imparted thereto and thereafter plied or braided together and stitched throughout its entire length in such a manner that the individual fibers as Well as the strands will be secured to each other a plurality of times which prevents the strands of the yarn from becoming separated from each other.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a plurality of low twisted strands plied together prior to being stitched;

Figure 2 is a top plan view similar to Figure 1, showing the yarn after being sewn throughout its length;

Figure 3 is a top plan view on a reduced scale showing the yarn after being removed from the sewing operation and shown in relaxed condition;

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken on line 4-4 in Figure 2 and showing the manner in which the stitching secures the fibers and strands of the yarn;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 1; v

Figure 6 is an enlarged transversevertical sectional view similar to Figure 5 taken. substantially along line 6'-6 in Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 2 and clearly showing the figure 8 configuration of the yarn construction after the same has been sewed; t

Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view similar to Figure'7 and taken online "of Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view show.-

ing the novel yarn of Figure 2 being employed as a pack-Y ing for a journal;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 and showing a highly twisted yarn being employed as a packing for a journal; I Figure 11 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the novel yarn of Figure 2 being employed as a caulking material; t

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 1212 in Figure 11 and clearly showing the manner in which the novel yarn fully covers the seam or opening between the planks;

Figure 13 shows the novel yarn of Figure 2 being employed as a wick in a lamp.

Referring more specifically tothe drawings, particularly Figure 1, reference numeral 10 broadly indicates the yarn prior to being stitched longitudinally and shown as being formed from a plurality of strands 11 12, 13 and 14 plied or twisted together. Each of the strands 11, 12, 13 and 14 are formed from any suitable absorbent fibrous or filamentary material, but preferably a synthetic fibrous material such as rayon wherein the staple'length of the fibers is considerably longer than the natural fibers," such as cotton. Each of the strands are formed by loosely twisting the fibers or filaments together at about one and one-half turns per inch after which the strands are loosely twisted or plied together to form a loosely twisted plied yarn.

Now, referringto Figure 2, reference numeral 20 indicates the yarn construction after the same has been sewn longitudinally of its length in the medial portion by stitching 21. It should be observed that the stitching 21 is a conventional type of stitch (Figure 4) wherein each of the strands 11, 12, 13 and 14 and the fibers therein are secured a plurality of times to adjacent fibers or strands by the stitching. Although, only one line of stitching is shown applied to the yarn 20 in the drawings, it is apparent that any number of lines of stitching may be used, provided the strands are not compacted to substantially lower the absorbency of the yarn.

As will be gathered by a comparison of Figures 2, 7 and 8 with Figures 1, 5 and 6, the stitching 21 tends to flatten the yarn into a figure 8 configuration wherein the yarn has a substantially greater surface area to thus greatly increase the absorbency of the yarn and permit the yarn to cover a greater area.

It should also be noted that the stitching 21, although flattening the yarn does not compress the major portions of the yarn to thus permit the majority of the fibers or filaments in the yarn to remain in uncompressed condition to greatly increase the absorption quality of the yarn.

Through experiments it has been found that the stitching 21 greatly increases the tensile strength of the loosely twisted and plied yarn and prevents the fibers or strands from pufiing out and becoming disengaged from the main body of the yarn and thus increases'the wear or life of the yarn many times over loosely twisted yarn formed without stitching.

Now referring to Figure 9, numeral 30 indicates a journal or shaft positioned in a bearing 31 having an enlarged bore portion 32 serving as a packing housing in which the novel yarn 20 saturated with a lubricant is positioned to serve for lubricating the shaft. It Will be observed that the yarn 20 by being formed with a flattened cross-sectional appearance has a considerable covering area to thus reduce the number of winds or layers or yarn necessary to cover the outer surface of the shaft 30 positioned within the confines of the packing housmg.

Figure shows a conventionally highly twisted yarn 33 positioned in the packing housing 32 in lieu of the yarn 20. It will be readily apparent that the highly twisted yarn 33 has a substantially lesser surface area than the yarn 20 to thus entail considerably more winds or layers of the yarn being placed on the shaft 30 to cover its outer surface. It is thus readily apparent that the yarn 20 may be positioned in the packing housing in a considerably lesser time than a highly twisted yarn such as the yarn 33. It should also be observed that the fiatttened configuration of the yarn 20 readily lends itself for being positioned in close quarters such as the small area between the shaft 30 and the side wall of the bearing 31 which forms the packing housing 32.

Now referring to Figures 11 and 12, the yarn 20 is shown employed as a caulking material for enclosing or filling a crank or seam S between conventional tongue and groove planking 4-0, 41. As shown in the drawings, the flattened cross-sectional appearance of the yarn 20 readily lends itself for being inserted in the small seam to fully cover the same. The greatly increased surface area of the yarn 20 serves for soaking up a greater amount of caulking compound to thus provide a water tight seal between the planking. The high tensile strength of the yarn 20 also aids to prevent the yarn from being severed or parted when instruments are employed for pounding the yarn into the seam or opening.

Now referring to Figure 13, a lamp L is shown employing the yarn 20 as a wick therefor. Heretofore, all conventional wicks have been woven or braided and the cost of such operations has comprised a substantial percentage of the cost of the finished product. The yarn 20 due to its simple and economical manner of construction 4 presents a yarn which may be used as a wick and be manufactured at considerably less cost than when manufactured by the conventional processes heretofore.

It is thus seen that there has been provided an improved yarn of low twisted strands wherein the yarn has the tensile strength and abrasion resisting qualities at least equal to yarn formed from high twisted strands of exceedingly long staple length, and wherein the yarn has greatly increased absorption qualities over prior yarns.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A relatively strong yarn having a high bulk versus weight ratio comprising a plurality of loosely twisted strands of absorbent fibers having approximately one and one-half turns per inch, said strands being loosely plied together, and stitching extending through the entire length of the yarn whereby the strands are secured to each other to greatly increase the strength of the yarn and to prevent the strands from becoming separated from each other.

2. A yarn having a substantially figure 8 cross-sectional appearance comprising a plurality of loosely twisted strands having approximately one and one-half turns per inch, said strands being loosely plied together, and stitching extending the entire length of the yarn in the medial portion thereof to secure the strands to each other a plurality of times and to greatly increase the tensile strength of the yarn.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 31,049 Wortendyke Jan. 1, 1861 431,298 Watkins July 1, 1890 1,719,679 Muller-Thym July 2, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,754 Great Britain of 1906 2,818 Great Britain of 1908 

